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New COVID-19 strain detected in 8 European countries: WHO

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 25 Dec 2020

New COVID-19 strain detected in 8 European countries: WHO

UNSPLASH

London: The World Health Organization has said the new strain of COVID-19 has been detected in eight European countries so far.

The WHO said it is continuing to monitor the situation.

Hans Kluge, WHO's Regional Director for Europe, tweeted: "8 countries in the @WHO_Europe region have now identified the new #COVID19 variant VOC-202012/01. It is vital to strengthen existing protective measures: distancing/masks/staying in core support bubbles."

He said the variant also seems to be spreading among younger age groups unlike previous strains. 

" Vigilance is important while research is ongoing to define its impact #UnitedActionForBetterHealth," he said.

The new strain of the coronavirus was firstly detected in the United Kingdom last week.

This type of the virus is 70 percent more transmissible than other SARS-CoV-2 variants.

After that, many countries introduced new travel restrictions.